Not so Hard Time
by highlander2973
Summary: Ty Lee is sent to prison after attacking Princess Azula. It's a new experience, but thankfully....she discovers her cellmate is a familiar friend. My first Avatar fanfic....PLEASE BE KIND!


"Not So" Hard Time

There was no getting around it. Ty Lee was scared. In just the last hour she had to deal with seeing her parents cry, changing into a drab prison uniform in front of prison guards, and have her hands shackled like some kind of animal. Now she was being led down a dark corridor of prison cells by burly prison guards that were taunting her as they held her arms firmly in place.

"Pretty little girl like you….you best find some friends quick or you won't last a week in here sweetie…" said the ugly guard.

"My aura has never been black before, but here it is…" she thought.

"Here ya go….2287.…home sweet home, circus freak…."

Ty Lee was led into her cell and the steel door shut behind her. She then backed up to the gate as instructed and the prison guards finally removed her shackles through the steel bars.

As Ty Lee rubbed her wrists, she took in her new surroundings. It was dark but she could see that the top bunk was unoccupied so she leapt up and tried to get as comfortable as possible on the rail thin mattress.

As she stretched out on the mattress and stared at the ceiling, the events of the last 24 hours played out in her mind. She had arrived at the boiling rock with Mai and Azula on a tip that Zuko had been taken prisoner and that he likely had friends in the Avatar's group with him. She was fighting hand to hand with a much more determined Suki, no longer having the element of surprise at her disposal. It had been a long time since she had been bested in combat. Suki had blocked all of her punches, she wanted to finish the match until she had seen the prison guards were cutting the gondola line.

Mai….why had she done it? Why did she turn on Azula? It all happened so fast, and she knew that….despite Mai's expertise in weapons….she was no match for Azula. It all happened so fast. So fast. So fast. Mai was in trouble. Surreal. As if her body was acting out on it's own and she was simply watching. Jab jab….punch punch…she was attacking the Princess….down Azula went. Azula was angry. No, pissed.

"GET THEM OUT OF MY SITE! THROW THEM IN PRISON AND LEAVE THEM TO ROT!!!"

"Why did I do it?" she said to no one in particular. Or at least she thought to no one…

"Yeah, why did you do it?" came a drab voice from the bunk underneath her.

"Mai?!"

"Surprise…..guess we're cellmates. Lucky me."

"Mai, I'm so glad it's you!" said Ty Lee jumping down from her bunk and hugging Mai.

"Okay, okay….cut it out before the other prisoners think…..y'know…."

"Oh, sorry. Heh…" said Ty Lee as she went back to her bunk.

"So this is how I spend the rest of my days……wonderful."

"At least we're in the palace city prison…..they could have kept us at the boiling rock…"

"Yeah, lucky us."

"Mai?"

"Yeah?"

"Why….why did you do it? Why did you…..turn against…..y'know…."

"…."

"Mai, I'm sitting in prison. Tell me why I stuck my neck out for you. Why did you do it?"

"…"

"Oh spirits…puh-leazze! Tell me we are not sitting in jail because of Zuko!"

"Sorry."

"I can't believe this! Mai, how could you do this?! We had everything we could ever want! We were- GAH! How could you do this, Mai?!"

"Hey! I didn't ask for your help! It was between me and crazy psycho princess before you interfered! I had everything under control!"

"Mai," Ty Lee said, now hanging upside down from her bunk so that she could look at Mai while she was arguing, "Azula would have burned you to ashes if I hadn't stopped her! You're lucky to be alive! GAH! I SHOULD HAVE JUST STAYED IN THE CIRCUS! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON MY PARENTS FACES WHEN I GOT SENT HERE!"

"My parents weren't exactly thrilled either, ya know! Dad's probably gonna have to give up New Ozai now! So don't talk to me about your problems, 'cause you're not the only one, GOT IT?!"

Steamed, Ty Lee flipped back over onto her bunk and a good half hour passed before anyone said anything.

"Mai?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm…I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry."

"…."

"Ty Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For…for what?"

"For stepping in and saving my hide."

"Mai?" asked Ty Lee quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me the truth…why did you do it? What did Zuko say that made you do it?"

"I…can't put my finger on it. I saw something. Something in his eyes that I had never seen before. All my ears heard was crazy talk….but…..something in the way he looked at me. Clarity. He…it was as if he knew what he was doing…what he wanted…I…I dunno. I was so mad at him. But his eyes…I've never seen that look in his eyes before."

"…"

"Ty Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you happen to catch that look on Azula's face while you were jabbing her?"

"Heh…h'no…" said Ty Lee…a giggle escaping from her face that had been frowning a second before.

"You should have seen it. She gave you a look like you just shot her poodle-monkey."

Both girls giggled from their perspective bunks before sighing and letting silence fill their prison cell for another moment.

"Mai?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're my cell mate. My aura, while hardly pink? Is now out of black at least."

"Glad I could help. And…I'm glad you're my cell mate too."

"…"

"…"

"…at least I got to see that cute water tribe boy again."

"…I wonder if my uncle could pull some strings and get me outta here."

"…us."

"Right…..us."

FIN


End file.
